Thank you for these characters and their stories, Kazuki Takahashi. Requiescat in pace.

Chapter Fourteen

Yugi

Mai Valentine was my first opponent in the Duelist Kingdom finals. I was as excited as I was scared, and I had barely slept at all the previous night. Both Grandpa and Dria told me to trust the spirit inside my Puzzle, but after what he almost did to Kaiba, I couldn't erase my doubt. I shook my head in an attempt to focus myself. I didn't have time to worry about that duel anymore. I had to go and win the tournament in order to save Dria, Grandpa, Mokuba, and Kaiba. If I could keep the spirit on an extremely tight leash and make it inescapably clear that I was in control, maybe everyone would get out alive.

"Hey Yugi. Aren't you ready yet? You're going to be late."

"They'll disqualify you right out of the tournament if you're late."

Joey was right. If I was going to save anyone, I would need to keep the spirit suppressed so I would both win the duel and prevent anyone from getting hurt. Only Joey and I could go on the arena floor, so the others made their way up to the balcony.

"Kick some butt!"

The other two duelists were already there, waiting for us. Bandit Keith started taunting Joey the moment they made eye contact. I hoped Joey could manage to keep his cool before his duel began. It didn't help that the look Keith was giving him made me feel like he knew something we didn't.

"All finalists will now enter the arena."

The doors before us opened and we walked out into the arena. Pegasus walked out about the same time we did after an introduction. I found myself watching the doors behind him, waiting for Dria to come through them as well. I quickly turned my eyes towards Pegasus, trying to focus on my task at hand. Dria wasn't coming; she was in the Shadow Realm, being the hero my friends needed. I felt a sudden presence behind me, but when I glanced around, no one was there. The presence wasn't frightening, rather it was soothing. Then, as if it had never been there, it faded.

"...the title, and not the money, is the real prize. Isn't that so?"

I refocused my attention on Pegasus, my anger slowly rising as he practically dangled the souls of my friends and family right in front of me. As I calmed down, I realized that Pegasus' lack of concern was a good sign. It meant that he knew nothing of Dria's plan, so maybe it would work after all. Croquet announced the start of my duel with Mai and my nerves began to tremble. What if I couldn't keep the spirit in check? Pegasus could steal souls with his Millennium Item; who could say what the spirit could do with one of my friends' souls or even my own soul?

Suddenly, that soothing presence appeared once more. It felt like a pair of soft arms wrapped around my neck and I felt the sensation of kiss being pressed to my cheek. The scent of spices was familiar, but I couldn't place it. A soft voice came through my mind.

"You'll never be in real danger while I'm around."

I quickly turned around, hoping that Dria really was standing right behind me. I felt a little foolish when I realized that I was jumping at nothing and she wasn't really behind me. At least, I didn't think she had been.

"Duel!"

Dria

I continued my journey through the shadows, my Pendant guiding me through the darkness. So far, there was no sign of Seto anywhere, not that I really expected to find him so quickly. Pegasus didn't know how to completely control his Eye. If he could, he would have created a prison of some kind where all of his souls would end up. But, as far as he knew, the Shadow Realm itself was one dimension. The realm had at least 4 different dimensions in itself, probably more. Seto could be in an area I had never been to before.

The little shadows had stopped coming out of the darkness to join me. That meant either another human soul was nearby or something bad was about to happen. I prepared my bow just in case. 5 minutes turned into 10, which turned into 20 and still nothing. A shout of terror finally broke the silence. I whipped my head around to see two figures coming my way. One was a fierce beast, a lower level lord of the realm. Those types of shadows were only second to last in the shadows' hierarchy. This one was probably new, seeing as those lower positions switched every shadow year, which was about 1000 human years. That was why being trapped there was such torture for even the shadows; time literally moved slower here.

The other was much smaller, much less powerful, and much more familiar. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was Grandpa! My fortune was simply too great, but I didn't have time to question it. I ran towards Grandpa, my trusty bow fully prepared. I jumped over him, pulling back and releasing my arrow in mid-air, trusting my muscles to remember how to operate the weapon. The shadow screeched in pain, dropping to his knees to clutch at his now punctured bicep. He began to violently pull at it, which only caused it to further imbed itself in his arm, causing him more pain.

"Leave this man to me and return from whence you came. I will not pursue you. Accept my terms and I will remove the arrow."

My voice rang out through the shadows, the commanding tone I had once mastered slowly coming back. He narrowed his eyes at first, but then he widened them and dropped to the ground, bowing to me. He had recognized me, though how, I didn't know.

I quickly and painlessly removed the arrow. The shadow immediately bowed once more before running back in the opposite direction, hopefully never to be seen again. After carefully watching to make sure reinforcements didn't come, I returned to Grandpa's side, feeling like it was safe enough to let down my guard. The poor man had passed out from exhaustion. Who knew how long he had been running from that shadow? I gently picked him up, resting all his weight against my body with his arm across my shoulder. I needed to find a safe place where he could rest and where I could restart my search for Seto.

I wondered how the Pharaoh and Yugi were fairing in the final rounds of the tournament. I feared that Father would try to take both Yugi's soul and his Puzzle if he were to lose to anyone, and I could truly lose the Pharaoh forever if that were to happen. I didn't know what would happen should Yugi's soul leave their body and should the Puzzle be removed from their body. Would the Pharaoh simply take over as the owner of the body, or would he vanish as well? I couldn't take the chance that the latter occurred. His imprisonment in the Puzzle was now the greatest gift the gods could have given me. I had wished it were me who was trapped in the Puzzle, but then again, I wouldn't wish this eternal life on anyone.

All these thoughts had distracted me from my task. A quiet groan brought me back out of my thoughts, reminding me that I was no longer alone.

"Mr. Mutou? Are you alright?"

He coughed a couple of times before lightly tapping me on the head, "I told you to call me Grandpa."

I happily laughed as I picked him up and danced around. I hadn't failed Yugi when I promised to locate his grandfather.

"Woah! Ha-ha it's nice to see you too, Miss Dria."

I stopped twirling, a little confused. I knew I had introduced myself as Dria back when we first met and any duelist would know who I was, but had he made the connection?

"Yes, I knew who you were the moment I met you. I watched you grow up. How could I not have recognized you?"

I smiled, though my blush revealed my embarrassment. He would be old enough to have seen all the pictures my Father used put out in all the magazines each year. As the youngest person to discover and improve what was now a multi-million-dollar game, Father felt it necessary to make sure everyone, mostly all eligible males, could see how I had grown each year. It was so embarrassing. He stopped after I turned 14, seeing as I already began receiving hundreds of proposals a year. I rubbed the back of my head, a little ashamed.

"Thank you for not saying anything. I should have known I couldn't hide my identity from someone like you."

He brushed off my praise, claiming any person his age would be able to figure it out. Ah, if only I could tell him why it was so easy for him to recognize me.

I was racing through the halls, fleeing from my new guardian.

"Miss Alexandria! Please come back! You are not supposed to leave my sight!"

I laughed as the older man tried to catch up to me. My adventures with the Pharaoh at the Nile had led me to the Pharaoh's palace. The Pharaoh immediately told everyone in the palace that I was his special guest and that they should treat me as they treated him.

I tried to tell all those present that they could treat me as they saw fit. If I acted like a child, they had every right to treat me like one. The priests were especially surprised at my manner of speech. They had probably expected me to speak in gibberish and start crying in fear of my surroundings. One was especially impressed; it led him to request to be my guardian and my teacher of sorts. I smiled widely as the Pharaoh agreed to his request. This man thought he could teach me something, but he would not be pleased when he realized I was more than he bargained for.

So here we were, running through the palace halls. I had planned on running all the way to the walls, but my tiny body couldn't carry me that far without some repercussion. I tripped on air and went crashing into another body. A small cry of shock rang out, echoing in the halls. I quickly sat up, moaning at the sudden pain in my head. My toes twisted themselves together as I clutched at my head. A tiny chuckle reminded me that I was not alone. A small boy was sitting across from me, laughing at me as he rubbed the side of his head as well. My eyes widened. It was the Prince!

My second day here and I already almost killed the heir before being officially introduced to him. I dropped my head, trying to stutter out an apology. I couldn't believe what I had just done. Here I was thinking that I knew more about respecting the ruling class, and I ran over one of them.

"I apologize, my Prince. I wasn't watching my steps. Please forgive me."

I closed my eyes tightly and lowered my head, expecting a slap or something of that sort. Two small, yet extremely warm and soft hands cradled my face, gently coaxing me to open my eyes. Tender sunset eyes filled with happiness and forgiveness smiled down at me.

"You are pretty. I like you."

I blushed wildly at his compliment. This was the boy, soon to be man, I had been dreaming about for years. I was only 3, but I already knew that I was in love with him. He gently ran his fingers over my face, tracing my nose and mouth.

"My Lady! My Prince! Are you well?"

Shimon had finally caught up with me. He bent over, resting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. The Prince and I froze, my face still held by his hands. When Shimon finally caught his breath, he started laughing when he saw the two of us.

"Getting to know the Prince, miss?"

I ripped my face out of the Prince's grasp and took off once again down the halls. I could not allow anyone to know about my already growing affections for the Prince. He would come to see me as his servant and probably nothing more. I didn't want to embarrass him with my affections.

"Wait! Come back!"

I ignored the Prince's pleas as I ran into my room and pulled the curtains down to block my door. A few hours went by before anything happened.

"Miss? May I come in?"

I slowly walked towards the curtains, pulling one back just enough to see who was at my door. It was Shimon. I nodded and walked back to my bed. He watched me very carefully, trying to find a fault in my steps.

"You act as if I come as a spy meant to begin a war. I intend no harm to the people of this kingdom, Master Shimon."

He chuckled at my statement and replied, "I trust you mean no harm. That is not why I have come. Tell me, what do you think of the Prince?"

I sent him a weak glare and turned away once more. He burst into a fit of chuckles. Of course, he already knew.

"He asked about you, you know. He wanted to know your name and how long you would be here." I snapped my gaze back to his, praying that he had not revealed that information.

He continued to laugh, "I didn't reveal your name, but I did tell him which room you were in and that you would be here for a while."

I stuck my tongue out at him, though I was trying to hide my excitement at the possibility of seeing the Prince again. Shimon already knew that too.

Shimon had watched me grow up. I soon learned that I could tell him almost anything and not only would he accept and love me regardless, but he also never told anyone my secrets unless the situation demanded it. He even knew that I was already 5000 years old and why I was always able to control my emotions. The only other person who ever knew that was the Pharaoh himself, and I could only hope that he would come to know it again someday, when he was ready.

I told Grandpa nearly everything that happened while he was away. I told him of how Yugi was fighting to save him from this realm, how Joey was slowly becoming a better and more confident duelist, and of how my own Father betrayed me. We sat together in the shadows as I told him of Yugi's struggles with the power of the Millennium Puzzle and what could happen if he did not manage to join forces with his other self. Grandpa didn't really understand what I meant when I told him of Yugi's alter ego. Then again, I only gave a few details. It wasn't time for that explanation yet.

"Go check on Yugi. I can wait." I cocked my head at his command, not entirely certain I had heard his statement correctly.

He raised his eyebrow, smirking slightly, "You keep looking off in one direction whenever you mention my grandson's name. I know you have the ability to go and make sure he is doing well, so please."

I covered my mouth with my hand as I held back my laugh, "I was trying so hard to keep you from noticing." I thanked him profusely, kissing his cheek multiple times.

He lightly shoved me away, "Go. We can gossip like old women later."

I closed my eyes and tried to find my Father's arena in the other realm. I decided not to go there physically; in spirit would be enough. I could always return to my body if Yugi were in some kind of trouble.

I reopened my eyes to see the familiar halls of Pegasus' castle. Now to find the dueling arena. If I was lucky, I might catch most of Yugi's duel. I floated through the halls I used to run through as a child. Every hall held some kind of memory for me. As much as I wanted to relive many of them, I simply didn't have time.

When I finally reached the dueling arena, Pegasus hadn't even announced the start of the first duel. I squealed in excitement as I realized I might be able watch the whole duel, assuming nothing went wrong in the other realm. I wanted to be able to cheer for Yugi and the Pharaoh and have him look up at me with those captivating eyes again. I shook my head, pushing back all those thoughts. I slipped down onto the lowest level, where the arena was. I glided past Joey, Mai, and Keith, heading straight for the Pharaoh.

He was incredibly tense and had good reason to be. I found it a little surprising that Joey didn't say anything to him to try to calm him down at least a little. Maybe only I knew the Pharaoh well enough to see the signs. His shoulders were slightly further back than normal, the muscles in his back tightened in response, and his hands were shaking, yet it was so slight most people probably wouldn't even notice it. I floated up to him, noting how he seemed to both relax and tense up even more with my approach.

Even without magic, I could see that his mind was running a mile a minute. Yugi must have been afraid that the Pharaoh would try to take over his body, like Ryou's spirit usually did, and would accidentally harm Mai in his attempts to win the duel. The Pharaoh feared his host would never forgive him. He hadn't wanted to cause Yugi any pain or grief; he had just wanted to help his host and his hosts' loved ones, and his fierce devotion to those he cared for didn't always manifest itself well. I smiled sadly, wishing that I could take away both of their fears, but this was one time I could not assist either of them. They had to fight out this battle together.

My arms wrapped themselves around his neck and I placed a loving kiss on his cheek. They would figure it out. They were both so compassionate, so forgiving, yet they were both fighters, and I knew they would become great partners. I didn't need to try to look to the future to see if that was going to come true. Maybe I could help Yugi feel better if I reminded him of my promise. I leaned down towards his ear, whispering my promise to him once more.

"You'll never be in real danger while I'm around."

He smiled slightly at my words, before suddenly turning around, searching for something. He looked sad when he didn't find anything, but his body relaxed, and his hands ceased to shake. I went to follow him out into the arena, but my Pendant started glowing and trembling. Seto was in trouble. I quickly pushed my spirit back into the other realm, where Grandpa was waiting. When I reached it, my chest constricted in pain and I let out a groan.

"Dria? What's wrong?"

I shook my head frantically, trying to ignore the pain. It wasn't wise to switch between the realms so quickly; this I had learned the hard way. But I had to get back to save Seto. Any pain that would accompany that mission would be well worth it once I was done.

"Come on! We have to go now!"

I grabbed Grandpa's hand and pulled him along through the shadows. My Pendant began to lead the way once more, a single beam of light piercing through the darkness. Grandpa was astounded by this, multiple questions bubbling at his lips, yet he seemed to know that this wasn't the time to ask. We didn't have to go very far, but when I saw what was about to happen to Seto, I wished we had gotten there sooner.

A much smaller, yet much more dangerous shadow was standing over Seto's unconscious form. I saw a small bruise forming on his temple and a small bit of blood on the corner of his mouth. It looked like Seto had tried to fight off the shadow and had received a blow to the head for his troubles. I released Grandpa's hand and pulled out my bow and arrows once more. Thankfully, he knew it was safer to stay at least somewhat hidden behind me and to stay completely silent. I knocked an arrow and fired as soon as I could.

The shadow hissed and screeched in pain as my arrows hit its shoulder. It turned on me and snarled fiercely. I crouched down and prepared myself for its coming attack, knowing I would be unable to fire another projectile in time. Shadows like these preferred to fight hand-to-hand because of their often-overwhelming power. It began with all noise, and then it evolved into a series of body slams, then a final dance of death. The shadow launched itself at me, letting out an ear-piercing howl as it did. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Grandpa throw his hands over his ears. I would have done the same had the other figure not come crashing into me.

We wrestled around in the murky shadows for quite a while. I hadn't fought with a shadow, or any human for that matter, in a long time, so I was out of practice. It snapped at my throat multiple times, saliva dripping down onto my face.

"Is there any way I can help Dria?" I grunted a bit as I threw all my weight towards the shadow, flipping us over once more.

"No thank you. Please don't move."

Grandpa halted his movements and stood still once more. The shadow flipped us back over, scratching my cheek in the process.

"Are you sure I can't do anything? I really don't like standing here feeling useless."

I muttered to myself in annoyance and threw the shadow into the air. I rolled out of the way as it came back down, claws bared like knives.

"Yes, I'm sure. Please don't move."

"What if I use one of your arrows?"

"Grandpa!"

He stayed quiet after that. Luckily, he didn't have to wait much longer. With one final burst of strength, I punched the shadow square in the jaw, and he flew off me, far into the darkness. A cry of defeat was heard, and the shadow scurried off. My cheek was bleeding liberally, and I had a number of scrapes and bruises. Even after 10,000 years, the fact that this cloud-like ground could give such nasty bruises surprised me. I swayed a little as I stood.

"Am I allowed to move now?" I smiled weakly at him.

"Yes. Thank you for listening."

"What was that?"

I sighed regretfully. That would have been me had the Pharaoh not saved me. The most dangerous shadows feed off the anger and grief inside humans, monsters, and other shadows themselves. I was already sick of my immortal status, and my anger and grief was starting to take its toll on my mind. A tremor rushed up my spine at the thought of what might have happened if I not met the Pharaoh when I did. My friend would have been thrilled because there was a slim shot that I would have actually listened to what he requested of me.

"The reason why most normal people fear this realm. They've become more demon than shadow." I shook my head at his upcoming question, "Yes there is a difference, but don't worry about it. It's gone now and it won't be coming back anytime soon."

I walked over to where Seto, who was still out cold, was laying. I gently stroked his cheek, trying to wake him up. It took a few moments, but he finally started to stir when I reminded him of who I was. His ocean blue eyes shot open and quickly focused on me. I was so overcome by my relief that I couldn't control my actions. As he sat up, I threw my arms around him and began to weep uncontrollably. He rubbed a soothing pattern on my back and spoke very softly to me, carefully examining the cut on my cheek and the visible bruises on my arms.

My best friend was finally safe. I shuddered a little to think of what that shadow could have done to my Seto. As I calmed down, I remembered that Seto wasn't the only person still in trouble. I still had to find Mokuba, and then I had to keep all three of them safe. All kinds of shadows could be after them. All three of them were filled with so much goodness and so much light, the shadows would have no difficulty finding any of them. I had to work fast and keep my guard up.

Please hurry, Yugi. Keep him safe, Pharaoh.